Control mechanism for surfacing apparatus



CONTROL MECHANISM FOR SURFACING APPARATUS ALFRED HARRlNGToN;

A'r roRNI-:Y v

Nov. 25, 1941. y A. f HARRINGTON 2,264,177

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR SURFACING APPiUl'US I VFiled July 26, 1939 2 SheetsjSheet 2 ,/r//ffr/ I oq, v o lNvEN-roR` [2 \1 kg. n ALFRED L. HARRiNGTON,

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 25, 1941 UNITE sr Tes ooNTRoi. MECHANISM' FoR'sURrAoiNG 'APPARATUS Alfred L, Harrington,

Rosslyn Farms, Pa., as-

signer to `Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, v'Allegheny County,Pa., a corporation of Penn- Sylvania Application muy zc, 1939, 'serial No. 286,576

This vinvention relates` to surfacing `apparatus `for grinding or polishing" plate glass and i-t `has particular relation to pressure control mechanism vffor regulating the applicationof 'the runner blocks to glass surfaces. l

` One object of the invention is to provide an improved'mechanism for controlling and varying pressure'iexerted by runner blocks'upon Work to be surfaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement for pneumatically controlling the runner blocks of a surfacing 'appa-- ratus.

In one arrangement of runner blocks constructed according to the invention, conduits are `provided which pass through a rotatable trunk unit, and pressure chambers formed within the "Wallsof the unit are provided with diaphragms for supporting the runners.

In the type of surfacingapparatus in which inner and outer rows of runner blocks are employed, a series of fluid supplying'conduits are connected to the chambers of theinner series and a similar series of fluid supplying conduits are connected tothe outer series. Pressure regulating mechanism is provided in the fluid supply conduits leading to 'the chambers in which the diaphragme are located for the purpose of regulating the pressure on all of the runner blocks, or on only a selected number of them.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary plan of a surfacing unit; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the line II-II of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section, on a larger scale, taken substantially along the line III-III of Fig. 2.

In practicing the invention, a surfacing trunk or spider I is rigidly supported upon a rotatably driven shaft I2 vertically disposed and adapted to be mounted in a conventional manner. This shaft I2 is provided With an axial conduit I5 eX- tending from the upper extremity thereof down- Wardly to a location adjacent its lower end. A fluid supply main I6 for supplying fluid under pressure from suitable pressure source (not shown) is provided with a swivel connection I1 securing it to the vertical shaft I2 in communication with the conduit I5. This arrangement facilitates relative rotation between the shaft I2 and the fluid supplying main I6. A suitable gauge I3 is incorporated in the uid supply main I6 to indicate the degree of pressure exerted by the iiuid entering the shaft conduit I and also a pressure regulator I9 of conventional construction is included in the main I6 "to vary the 'degree of pressure exerted by the fluid passing into the conduit I5.

One form of regulator I'S'which has been found 'tobejsatisfactory includesa sectionalcasing 26 (Fig. VV3)', the lower'section of'which hasv a passage 2I communicating onoppositesideswith-tlie vconduit I6 and controlled Vby'an oblong valve 22 'l/IavirigV its' outer end resting against a diaphragm 23A land its valve end'urged toward the passage't by means of a spring 24: that rests against an ad- `acent'wall of the casing 2li. The-diaphragm divides the outer portion, of the casing into inner and outer compartments 25 andl 25 and the inner compartment --25 'communicates througha duct 21 with the conduit I6 on the side of the regun lator'rleading to the passage I5. A spring 28 rests vatene-'rend' upon the outer side of the diaphragm 23 and atits other end upon the inner end of an adjusting" member 29 'that is scrtvv-th'readed into the outer entremity ofthe casing 2d. Control of relative pressures-on opposite sides of the valve 22 can be effected by Iadjustment of the spring pressure on the diaphragm -2'3 whicliis exposed to the pressure l in "thev vconduit vI-f'leading to fthe rshaft-passage'I5.

Two conduits 31E and 32 substantially radially disposed vwith 'respect to thellower' portion orthe shaft IZ are connected lat! their inner 'ends "with the shaft conduit I5 and at their-outrends with two endless circular conduits 33 and 34,V respectively, both of the latter of which surround the shaft I2 in spaced relation. Two series of inner and outer conduit connections 36 and 31 are con- 35 nected radially at intervals along the endless conduits 33 and 34, respectively, and each of the inner series of conduit sections 36 is connected at its outer end in an opening 45 formed in the upper wall 42 of one of a series of inner chambers 43 which are radially disposed in a circular row along an intermediate portion of the spider II). Likewise each of the series of outer conduit sections 31 is connected in an opening 44 formed in the upper wall 45 of one of a series of outer cham- 45 bers 46 which are radially disposed in a circular row along the marginal portion of the spider I0. The inner and outer chambers 43 and 46 are provided with lower Walls in the form of diaphragme 48 and 41, respectively, composed of rub- 50 ber, rubberized fabric, or other eXible or resilient material. Marginal portions of the diaphragme 48 and 41 are clamped between rings 56 and 52, respectively, that are bolted, as indicated at 53 and 54, in fluid tight relation to the bottom side 55 of the spider I0.

iff

arms 60 and 62 extend centrally and downwardly from the counterweights 63 and 64, respectively,VIV

through central portions of the diaphragms 48 and 41, respectively, and are connected in fluid tight relation therewith in conjunction with their mounting upon the respective counterweights. The flexibility and resiliency of the diaphragms 48 `and 41 permit Slight tilting of the vertical arms 6D and 62, respectively, and slight vertical movement of the runner blocks 56 and 51, respectively. These runner blocks are thus so mounted that they respond to any surface `variations in a glass plate 16 which is carried upon a support 12 in a conventional manner and is to be surfaced by the operation of the runner blocks.

A fluid pressure regulator 15, having substantially the same construction as t-he regulator I9 described above, is included in the conduit 30 and can be set to insure any degree of fluid pressure desired in the chambers 43, such pressure differing as desired from that existing in the chambers 46. Also by adjusting the pressure regulator I9 in the fluid supply main I6, the fluid pressure in all of the chambers of the surfacing unit can be regulated. Therefore, the inner and outer runner blocks 56 and 51 can be so adjusted with respect to pressure applied to the glass as to insure proper surfacing of the glass and whenever any inequalities occur in the glass surface, the pressures can be regulated to correct them and produce a surface free from irregularities.

The walls 42 and 45 are rigidly connected as parts of the rotatable surfacing unit by means of webbing 80.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. inv a surfacing unit having two series of chambers formed on the lower side thereof, diaphragms constituting the lower walls of said chambers, surfacing runner blocks carried by said diaphragms, conduit structure communicating with said chambers for supplying fluid under pressure to the chambers against said diaphragms, and means for regulating the fluid pressure in one series of chambers independently of the fluid pressure in the other series of chambers.

2. In a surfacing unit having two series of chambers formed on the lower side thereof, diaphragms constituting the lower walls of said chambers, surfacing runner blocks carried by said diaphragms, conduit structure communicating with said chambers for supplying fluid under pressure to the chambers against said diaphragms, means for regulating the fluid pressure in both series of chambers, and means for regulating the fluid pressure in one series of chambers independently of the uid pressure in the other series of chambers.

3. In a surfacing unit having runner blocks adapted to smooth the surface of a glass plate, a plurality of chambers each having a substantially horizontal and flexible diaphragm forming one wall thereof, a support carrying the chambers and having a vertical axis of rotation about which the chambers are revolvable, said runner blocks having counterweights connected thereto and supported in said chambers upon the diaphragms to balance the effect of centrifugal force tending to tilt the runner blocks in connection with their revolving action about said vertical axis.

4. In a surfacing unit having a member formed with a chamber at the lower side thereof, a diaphragm constituting the lower wall of said chamber, a surfacing runner block having an upward extension connected thereto and projecting through the diaphragm, a support carrying the chambered member and having a vertical axis of rotation about which the chambered member is revolvable, and a counterweight carried on said extension inside the chamber and at least partially supporting said runner block on the diaphragm to balance the effect of centrifugal force tending to tilt the runner block in connection with its revolving action about said vertical axis.

ALFRED L. HARRINGTON. 

